


Nightfall.

by cammie de la cour (LilaacStars)



Category: Original Work
Genre: Beauty and the Beast Elements, Dark Undertones, F/M, Goblins, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Magic, Mythology References, Original Mythology, SO, Vampires, Werecat, Witches, curse, faes, marichat dynamics, originally a miraculous ladybug fic, tw blood
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-03
Updated: 2019-04-03
Packaged: 2020-01-01 08:40:51
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,341
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18332558
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilaacStars/pseuds/cammie%20de%20la%20cour
Summary: In the borderline of the Dark Kingdom Lands and the human world, Kayrielle, a witch, lives in a little cottage where she is safe from the violent world.One dark and eerie night her world changes. In the deepest part of the woods, she meets Silver, a kind and mysterious young man under a terrible curse. Decided to help him, she goes further than she ever expected she could go.As powerful and intimidating as Kayrielle is, there are other creatures of the night that are stronger and more dangerous than she could ever imagine.  Though, that won't stop her from falling in love with one.Kayrielle goes against every rule imposed on her to help her lover, but will it all be worth it at the end?





	Nightfall.

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [nightfall](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16170062) by [LilaacStars](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LilaacStars/pseuds/LilaacStars). 



> this used to be a fanfic, now you have the new and expanded world of nighftall :)  
> i hope you like it as much as i like to write it x

Kayrielle stirred the cauldron in the same direction as the clock on the left of her studio ran its hands, and cleaned the sweat on her forehead with the back of her hand.

She sighed, it was the fifth she did that in that sole minute. Too tired from her working day, her only desire was to go lie in the comfort of her bed, between the soft sheets and the cozy and warm blankets thrown around her bedroom, but duty came first, she could not go to sleep without finishing it, sleeping would have to be postponed. 

The potion was easy, actually, in normal circumstances it wouldn't take that long to finish it up, throwing a spell and let it brew for the night relaying on her magic to take care of the rest. However, this time of the year made everything more complicated than it actually was.

October was splendid for business, she couldn't complain about it, she made more money than any other month of the year and she got to see more people and hear incredibly funny stories, as well as heartwarming ones. The month did give her most of her happy memories through the year, however, it brought so much trouble and painful hours of work, keeping up with her job and health, was a nuisance.

At the end of the day, the storied and the interactions she had with her clients made it up.

Humans were funny. The whole year they would curse against them, they would run away scared if they stumbled with one of them and they would do their very best to gossip the most horrible lies they could think of. The walls around their towns were built high and thick and they had their own system to keep them away. But when the months of the moon came around, they  _all_  loved magic. They  _craved_  it.

Humans were selfish and cruel to the bone, hunting them down and calling them slurs, claiming to do it to survive, when they had never really given them a chance, and then when needed they searched for them so they could pay for their services and obtain the magic that they longed for.

Creatures of the night like she had to be very careful when they approached them. Humans had a magic of their own that they still needed to figure out.

Kayrielle had to admit that she had it easier than other creatures of the Dark Kingdom Lands. Witches looked like humans did, they could hide between them going unnoticed.

She had proven that many times, while other witches only knew it by other's story. Magical creatures did not mix well with humans, they didn't want to either, but in the end, Kayrielle thought that they shared more similarities than differences.

Also, if it wasn't for humans, Kayrielle wouldn't have as much clientele as she did, and her world would be a continuous routine of boring activities. Humans brought spice to her life.

Today's potion was for one of them. A lovely woman in her late forties who had just lost her husband.

The witch stirred the kettle on the opposite direction than before, starting to count so she wouldn't overdo it.

She looked around her little workshop, the glimmer of the fairy dust was floating around and the purple light coming out of the cauldron was the only source of illumination in the room. The candle she had on had died down and the spectral silence surrounding her became louder because of the shadows of the objects around the room that made it look spooky.

Teardrops clashed against the tiles of the rooftop, a few drops leaked to the studio and finished their journey in a silver bucket carefully placed it to catch them.

It was the third night in a row that rained and the sorcerer was ready, she couldn't let some water ruin her potions and charms.

Kayrielle stopped stirring and clapped three times before giving a snap with her left hand. The big wooden spoon started to move by itself and kept doing the job she had been doing.

A few seconds away from the potion would not do much damage, she would still be inside the room, so her magic would hold its strength to keep the beverage on its optimate state.

She walked to the closest window, wiggled her fingers around the heavy metal handgrip before pulling it up and opened it. It was a cloudier than the past nights, the shape of the moon was missing, the leaks of grey light were almost unnoticeable, but never for her. They were enough to recover some of her strength and help her keep going.

She took off the pointy hat on top of her head and untied her braids, letting her hair fall on top her shoulders. Massaging the back of her neck, she sighed and looked at the dark valley in front of her.

It was a quiet night, an odd occurrence on that side of the village.

Kayrielle lived twenty minutes away from the outskirts of the human city, which meant that the closest city filled with magical creatures was at least an hour or two away on a carriage.

Many citizens of the valley had grown used to the human schedule since they had many visitors and the humans were the strongest clientele besides the own people who lived there. Nonetheless, there were still creatures, such as Kayrielle that enjoyed the night and were out and about at those hours.

At these times of the night, October or not, when most humans were sleeping in their beds, most of the valley population was out and about, enjoying their time, celebrating and hanging out with their friends.

Tonight that wasn't the case, and that made Kayrielle worry.

She turned around to watch the clock in her wall, checking the time once again. Yes, she had been right, it was past midnight, and only a group of fortune tellers, illusionist, and a couple of firebirds were walking outside.

Kayrielle closed her window and came back to her pot. She checked her magic and clapped one more time so the wooden spoon would move slower. She took a flask from the closest cabinet and threw some of the unicorn hairs on it inside of the mixture she was preparing. Then she swirled her fingers in direction of the cabinet with the green doors, and an old marmalade jar flew into her direction.

Before opening, she counted the pearls inside of it.

Five silvery and pinkish spheres, the size of sugar cubes rolled around as she shook the jar. They were not enough to continue the potion.

As much as she enjoyed the night, and would love to stay up and take a break, she needed to make a fast trip to the apothecary and go back to bed so she would catch a few hours of sleep before having to wake up and open the doors of her home to any brokenhearted human that asked for her help.

She looked at the watch one more time. The potion still needed to be stirred for four more hours, and it had to rest for another two more. Maybe she had time to do what her heart was calling her to do.

Kayrielle put the jar next to the other ingredients she was using and checked her stock on those too, before going to check on the potion one last time.

It wasn't optimal to leave the potion unsupervised, but it was worse putting fewer mermaid tears than the one that the potion needed.

A short trip was absolutely necessary.

Kayrielle kissed her fingers and brushed the spoon before leaving, assuring for the last time that her magic was not going to mess up the potion, and left the room.

Her cottage was little, and the workshop was one of the rooms that took more space beside her bedroom, so it only took five steps to get to the front door. The citric smell of the peels of  _daite_ fruit she had brewed a few days ago still lingered in the air and mixed with the scent of wet wood and the ferzberry candle she had on.

She took the purple cloak hanging on her rail and put it on. She tied a bow around her neck and put on the hoodie. Her fingers ran through the heavy and soft cloth, brushing off the dust that it could have.

Giving a snap of her fingers a bag flew to her side. Taking it between her hands, she opened it to check the content. Inside, there were twelve miniature crystal balls in a variety of colors, courtesy of her best friend, a nine-tailed fox named Safeeia. The rare objects were hard to find, so she counted them three times before securely closing the bag and tying it up to the belt of her skirt.

Kayrielle twirled her fingers around it, calling an invisible spell to keep the bag hidden from curious eyes.

She charmed the knob of the door after closing it behind her and eyed the little town beneath.

Kayrielle walked in the cobblestones' path from her house on the hill, to the beginning of the town.

She walked at a fast pace until she reached the main street of the quiet and beautiful village, her curiosity only grew as she made her way down. Something odd was going on tonight, something she had never seen before.

Actually, there was  _nothing_  to be seen.

No one walking through the main street, no one watching at the windows of the stores, absolutely no one running around making jokes, there was no sense of magic in the air, there were no peddlers trying to swindle naive creatures or the human intruders that they had every night. The night was too quiet and nights in the valley were everything but that. Not a soul was moving in their designed path, and Kayrielle could not find an explanation to it.

What could have happened? This was not the nature of the night creatures, it was in their name, they were  _night creatures_ , they enjoyed the moon and the dark, those were the hours where they were most powerful, and the peaceful hours too, because the chance of stumbling with humans decreased.

Kayrielle kept walking and looking around, seeing if she could find someone else than the groups she had seen outside of her house a few hours before, that it was worth to say, were now gone too.

She only stopped when she made it to the end of the main street of the village, not finding a single store with people coming out of it, running around inside of it, or with its lights on. The market, that was constantly about to explode of how crowded it was, had only its owners pacing around the narrow hallways. She could ask them if they knew something but a couple of flower nymphs wasn't very fond of her, they would brush her off and close the door in her face.

Kayrielle kept walking, running down the little streets around it, with little stores she had always enjoyed, with restaurants that were always full of people and conversation, but just as before, there was no one to talk to.

Her skin crawled, she felt the cold breeze of the night brush down her limbs like a waterfall, the rapid motion of swirling waves made itself present on her stomach and her throat tied in knots.

Fear was not an unfamiliar emotion for her, but she had never felt uneasy in the village, at least not for threats inside of it, it was always because something was approaching them.

Now, the fear came from her safe place, and it was an unpleasant emotion.

What was wrong with everyone? Where had they gone? Were they safe? Were they hiding? What did this mean? Why wasn't she aware of what was going on?

Kayrielle held her hand in front of her and wiggled her fingers, dusty sparks jumping around them as she did so. It could be as simple as a snap of her fingers, but with the darkness surrounding her and the moon hidden, she could not risk crossing the line.

Whenever she felt unsafe, or the superiors thought she could be in danger,  _Dékai_ Hälsa was their go-to. It was only natural to change her direction and ran down one of the parallel streets to Hälsa's little store and home.

She knew the way by heart, it was a route she could have done with her eyes closed. Hälsa's house was the place she would run to every time she had a nightmare since she arrived here at fourteen years old.

It was one of the houses closest to the beach and the sound of the feral waves against the rocks had become her comfort through the years.

There was something ethereal about the ocean too, with its unexpected force and gorgeous deep blue fading into charming white. The sound and the scent of the salty breeze made her past through Hälsa's house and skip it, running to the last cobblestone and hitting the sand, getting into her boots but not minding one bit.

Not only did the beach remind her about the island she was born at, the island where her family still lived at, but there was something whimsical about the ocean that always made her feel at ease.

She had been here only a week ago, helping Hälsa in a meeting with the new tribe of mermaids that had found a home in their part of the sea, but it felt like forever since she did.

The beach was as quiet as the rest of the town, but this was normal, which made her relax a little. The tension on her shoulders dropped and she set a more rhythmic peace of breath.

At this distance of the sea, she could feel the harmonic energy of the mermaid's magic.

Hälsa had been unsure about them but Kayrielle had loved them from day one. They were nice to her and braided her hair as they spoke about all the places they had visited. The tribe was a good acquisition and a new way that she could approach the world without directly doing so. It made her visits to the beach more pleasant than they already were.

The beach was a place that always brought her a sense of calm that no other place could give her. Kayrielle had never been able to point out what it was about this kind of landscape that gave her so much joy, maybe because it reminded her of her home in the island, but every time that answer popped in her mind, she knew it was something else, something she had yet to reach.

Letting herself fall to the sand she closed her eyes and hummed a tune one of her only friends in life had taught her a few years ago when they escaped from school and had a picnic date under the moonlight.

The soft tune in her head mixed well with the tides crashing on the rocks, the salty autumn air ran through her head and gently kissed her skin, a clash of her heat with the cold made the sensation feel wonderful.

Lost in her senses, her magic swirled in her hands, making her tingle. She was more aware of the energy of surroundings than she usually let herself to be.

And that's when she felt it.

A strange force made of magic. A force she had not sensed ever before.

To put into words what she was feeling was an impossible task. The feeling was so foreign, so opposite to what she was and what she knew that her mind became a nest of unsolved wonder, it tangled with every spark or brush of the energy. It went away and it came back only a second after, it was strong and it was weak when it clashed against her.

Kayrielle wiggled her fingers, sparks jumping at the brush of skin and then popping like bubbles of a warm bath.

She stood on her feet and took a step forward, in the direction the energy called her.

Her sight fixed on the beach houses, on the path back to her own home, but her body was being pulled, a magnetic field was all around her telling her to take the path that ran down to the forest.

She shouldn't go. It wasn't the smart thing to do, it wasn't right to follow an unknown force of energy when the town was so quiet and a thousand questions were still bouncing on her head.

That only made it more tempting.

One crack of the force, one change on its flow and Kayrielle chose her next step.

She ran back to the main street, but instead of going back to her cottage, she turned to the left and jumped the steps on Hälsa's main door.

Knocking quickly and sending a ball of light inside the house, she called for her mentor.

The response was as quickly as she expected it to be.

" _Kay?_ " Her voice came in a small quiver.

The window stained with light and a shadow started to grow as the woman approached. The copper knob moved, the lock clicked and as Hälsa opened the door it chirped.

"Good night,  _Dékai_  Hälsa," Kayrielle said, pulling up a sweet smile that hid all her concerns.

"Good night, sweetie," She said and took her hand to pull her inside the house and close the door behind her.

Kayrielle looked around. The main entrance of Hälsa's cottage got you inside of the store part of the house. It was small and full of shelves made of greenish wood filled with jars, differently shaped bottles and paper bags with herbs inside. The pillars that separated the shelves twisted into crazy shapes until they reached the floor where fresh painted flowers were scattered all over. They bloomed in summer in the most beautiful colors, but right now the stems, leaves and occasional thorns, were fading from orange to brown.

"What are you doing here? You rule your life under human schedule these times of the year,"

"I do," Kayrielle nodded, and walked to the counter of the shop, "I was still awake working on a potion when I realized how quiet the town is. Bizarre isn't it?"

"Yes," Hälsa said after a few seconds. "But there's nothing to worry about, Kay. Go back home and get some sleep. You need it."

Kayrielle leaned on the counter, picked up a jar on top of it -nymph's crystal threads- and played with it.

Her relationship with Hälsa went beyond mentor and student. Umevy Hälsa was a recognized  _Dékai_ of the  _La Hechzá,_ the Great Witch Court. It was logical that she would take Kayrielle under her wing and teach her magic. However, since the moment Hälsa welcomed her to the valley, their relationship had gone beyond that. Besides herself, Hälsa was the only witch in the valley and it had become a mature figure to her, in the absence of her own parents who lived at the other side of the land in the island she was born.

Only being fifteen years at the moment she arrived, Hälsa had been compassionate and never treated as a mere student.

Their bond was strong, it was why Kayrielle could tell she was hiding something.

"What didn't you tell me?" Kayrielle threw the jar in the air and caught it before it dropped, she repeated the motion countless times as she waited for an answer.

Hälsa gasped outraged, "What makes you think that I am-- oh, don't look at me like that, little lady."

"I've known you for years, I can tell when you lie." Kayrielle clicked her tongue and hid the smile that pursed on her lips. "What's really going on and why aren't you telling me? The whole town is empty and it's past midnight, that's odd, I'll dare to say eerie."

Hälsa sighed and walked near to where she was. Her robes dragged on the floor and the wood tiles creaked as she approached.

"I suppose it is," The woman rubbed her temples, then in a lower tone, she spoke "You were not supposed to leave your house. I wanted to avoid this talk."

"I'm sorry," Kayrielle looked down, feeling ashamed by her words.

"Oh no, sweetie," Hälsa put her fingers down her chin and lifted her head, "It's okay, I just didn't want to worry you and since you are receiving humans on the rise of the sun, I believed you would sleep through it."

"Through what?"

Hälsa took Kayrielle's hands between hers, pulled her closer and squeezed. A strange look crossed her eyes but it was too quick to understand what it could have meant.

"We got a warning a few days ago," Hälsa started softly, "There have been sights of vampires close to the human's town. They're searching for new donors, and they got a big group roaming through the lands. We weren't going to do anything about it until one of the mermaids send a message to me; she'd seen vampires, knights with the scutcheon of Kertáh on their arms."

Kayrielle's eyes popped wide open, a knot formed on the back of her throat making her nauseous.

"Vampires?" She asked, it was very audible but Hälsa nodded in response.

"Yes. Is better if you go back home,"

She didn't refuse the suggestion this time.

Before she left, Hälsa hugged her tight and gave her a bag of herbs to put on her cup of tea that would help her relax.

Kayrielle pressed the package close to her chest and stepped down to the main road, waving her mento goodbye.

She walked a few steps to the south until she couldn't feel Hälsa's presence anymore. Then her stand changed.

The fear, that had been real when she first heard Hälsa, then turned fake. It evaporated of her body and curiosity took over again. Hälsa had been lying, she knew it.

It wasn't that she didn't trust Hälsa, she did, with her life, but a vampire warning, especially if they were only looking for  _donors_  would not be strong enough to make the city stop their routines. It would be enough to stop  _Kayrielle's_  routine, that would have been believable, and because of that Hälsa would have warned her, it was strange that she had kept it a secret.

If Hälsa didn't want to tell her the truth, and if she could not find out what was really going on by lurking around the streets, then she would have to ask someone reliable and that could not help but spill the truth.

The nymphs were a great choice. They were headstrong enough to not follow the actions of the whole town, they would be out, running around the forest, playing on the lakes. The nymphs would not only give her a hint of what was really going on but could also be helpful when it came to the energy.

The strange force had disappeared when she was with Hälsa but back outside it was still strong, and it was coming from the forest. The nymphs would know something for sure.

So, putting all doubts behind, Kayrielle ran. Meters before the last sign that led to the forest, she changer her route from the tiled road, to the beaten path she usually chose as a shortcut. She went fast, boots lifting dust, cracking branches and stepping over puddles of strange colors. It was all known to her, but it was still scary, it was never this quiet.

When she reached the beginning of the forest she stopped and admired the big trees in front of her.

The tension was building up in her shoulders making her fidget.

She grabbed the bag on her belt, making sure it was still there if needed, and then put up one hand to create a sphere of light to use through the dark.

The forest was beautiful, she loved the way the moon looked through the shadows of the trees and its branches and made sure to enjoy the view of it when she visited it to stock up on some products that she rather select herself than buy from Hälsa, but she always avoided it at these hours of the night. Kayrielle would rather stand under the scorching sun than walk into the dangerous shadows of the deep woods, where the scariest and most dangerous creatures than her hid. Kayrielle only visited at dawn or twilight, and she never did it alone.

Neither would now.

Taking a deep and sharp breathe she began her walk towards the forest once again, stopping at the beginning of it and finding a good, quiet and safe place to stand before jumping into the unknown.

The young witch stood in the middle of a circle of pines and wild trees that did not make part of the actual forest, but that was close enough to it.

Afraid of the intruders that could be walking around, she cast a protection spell around the trees before starting. She would be vulnerable as she invoked her help, it was better to prevent.

Kayrielle shook her hands by her side, then made the move go up to her arms, letting go all the tension built in her body and took one deep breath before starting.

She pressed her index and middle finger on top of her lips, she gave a small kiss and closed her eyes.

Her voice was low but clear when she whispered the spell, and the magic rushed through her veins. Feeling her fingertips getting warmer, she spoke louder.

"Bound to my soul, married to my cause, deity of the night, protector of my dark. I call for your presence and I ask for your help," She said, _"Manifest!_ "

She extended her arm, so her fingers would make a 180-degree angle while she extended them, and pointed in front of her. A red sphere started shining around her fingers, electrifying the atmosphere. Pentagram glitz in the air, a part of reality ripped, making a portal and a tiny red creature appeared.

"Welcome back, Nomi," Kayrielle greeted the demon.

"Good evening, master, your Highness Witch of Luck and Love," The creature bowed and then gave a playful smiled.

"I will ignore that," Kayrielle said with an exasperated tone and muffled a giggle to keep up her serious face. "I need your company tonight, Nomi."

"You know I will always be there, whatever your request is," Nomi answered.

"We are going into the dark forest tonight, so please be alert," She ordered.

"The dark forest? You hate it there,"

"I hate uncertainty even more." She answered, still glaring at the trees, the weight of her words fell on her stomach. "Follow me, and if you see nymphs let me know. I need answers."

"Will do, Kayrielle."

They walked close to each other, keeping silence to match the quiet forest. Nomi flew around her, drawing circles with the falling glitter in which her demon form chose to manifest.

In other circumstances the beautiful glow of Nomi would have been comforting, it didn't cause the joy it usually did. Fear was building up inside her stomach and going up her throat like burning liquor. Kayrielle  _did_  feel better and safer with Nomi by her side, but every step she gave the sensation inside of her was heavier and more insufferable.

With every step, her searching was less about the town's odd behavior and more about the energy that was leaking through her body and bristling her skin. It felt like a heavy and thick substance going down her throat, like a liquid that would feel as sweet as honey but that right now was acid and bitter.

It made her think that whatever was around was really powerful, it had to be if it made her feel like this. The mixed feeling she got from it made her realize that this force had to be in some sort of trouble.

From the corner of her eye, she gave one look to her familiar.

The demon looked as calm as ever, flapping her wings like the ones of a real hummingbird, shining red and gold against the moonlight. No signs of Nomi feeling anything that could attack them.

But Nomi wasn't the best demon when it came to sensing magic, she was an excellent provider of magic and stability, but her senses were her weakness. She assured her that in her own dimension she was very good, but Kayrielle, as much as she loved her, doubted it.

The lack of nymphs, trolls, and hobgoblins running around wasn't a good indicator either. Spirits and ghost that loved to play and trick around this area were nowhere to be found. You didn't need to be a wise man to know something odd was happening in the forest.

The state of alert she was in increased when the path she knew disappeared behind her.

Her common sense was screaming for her to get out of there. She was aware that the deeper you went, the hardest it was to keep yourself safe. There were too many trees, traps, and monsters waiting to catch a pray.

Curiosity, however, was stronger.

It'd been years since she felt a smash of energy as powerful as hers.

Kayrielle took a big breath, realizing what she was about to do. One look at Nomi was enough to warn the demon of her intentions.

Together, they took one step into the darkness and kept submerging themselves into the unknown.

"Why are we looking for nymphs, Kayrielle?" Nomi's sweet voice echoed inside her mind.

"I was starting to worry about you, you had been quiet for so long, but now I see you're still you," Kayrielle teased her.

The demon flew in front of her and buzzed her wings faster, throwing a hit of air at her, messing up pieces of her hair.

Kayrielle giggled, and then answered.

"There's no one around and it is the night. It's odd, and I'm worried.

I act as one of the protectors of our town and I've not been informed of anything, I can not help but go and look for answers myself," Knowing Nomi for nine years now, Kayrielle knew that if she told her about the strange and dark force would result in a very scary and useless demon.

"Hasn't Safeeia talked to you?"

"It's October, Nomi. I only leave my house to take orders of my customers and receive my mail, and Safeeia as well as the other citizens, know better than to bother me when I'm working. Although, this time it might have backfired."

"Oh. What about  _Dékai_  Hälsa?"

"Nothing either."

Nomi nodded, finishing their conversation.

Kayrielle wished she hadn't, but did not whine about it or found a way to keep the conversation going.

The longer they walked, the more frightened she felt.

She had never made it that far into the forest at these times of the night. In an anxious manner, she would touch the earrings that bonded her and Nomi as a witch and familiar. That always gave her a sense of relief, but tonight it wasn't exactly working.

When they arrived at  _Arpra_ lake without seeing not a single fairy, Kayrielle knew it was time to go back home. She was not going to endanger herself any longer, she not only wanted to survive, but she also  _had_  to. People depended on her, she couldn't put her life at risk just because of her curious nature.

"Let's g--

"Master," Nomi interrupted. Just by the use of her title she knew what Nomi was not going to be good.

"What's wrong?" She asked, her voice went up an octave.

"We have to hide," Nomi said, "I know why nymphs aren't around."

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at buginettez or camiescribbles


End file.
